We all now have to sell our ideas and convince others that our ideas are sound and the right ideas. How often have you needed to sell the testing you are performing? Or persuade someone that a defect really does need to be fixed?

Having these skills is crucial for testers to be able to carry our their daily testing activities.

What follows are some tips on how to persuade and sell to others with a focal on selling testing.

The first tip is to be able to ask the right questions rather than try to provide answer. This to some may appear simple however as Daniel Pink states:

When selling testing it is not that important to explain the technicalities of testing and how you go and do this. This is vitally important when talking about testing to senior management. Instead ask questions such as:

What do you see as the biggest risk for this product?

Where is our revenue going to come from with this product?

Is there anything about this product that gives you sleepless nights?

By asking these types of questions you can then use the information provided to reassure the person how testing may be of value in this situations. Sell less about testing and more about what it may do to support the business needs.

At the same time their is a need to be able to persuade people about doing the right testing. This could be other peers and colleagues. In these situations it is not about selling but about showing to people the value of testing by doing. Working closely alongside people so they can see in real time the benefits of the testing that is being performed goes a long way to helping to persuade people. The art of persuading is more based on showing by doing rather than by trying to sell an idea. If you are in a situation as a tester to be given an opportunity show the value of testing, lead by utilizing practical examples rather than explaining theory. People are more easily persuaded by examples they can relate to rather than a theoretical example that has no relevance to them.

To conclude it is important for testers to have the ability to sell the benefits of testing and the skill to persuade others of these benefits. Selling testing will normally mean not talk about testing but the value testing can bring in terms of bottom line and risk. Persuading others of the benefit of testing is more about showing what testing is and how it can add value. To get better at either of these skills you need to practice and practice and practice even more. Try and get others you are comfortable with to help you to practice and give you feedback on your selling and persuasion skills.